Between 1-3 July 2026, the University of York will be taken over by u3a members socialising and learning together.

u3a Festival 26 is being led by a team of members, crafting a programme that covers sport tournaments, artistic workshops, musical performances and talks on a wide range of subjects. It will be everything members do at u3a on a daily basis - on a larger scale. We talked to a few of the members organising the Festival about what attendees can expect.

Performing arts

One of the great things about the festival is the opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and try something a little bit different. Gloucester u3a member Sarah leads a folk band at her u3a and is coordinating a range of performing arts activities for members to take part in at the Festival. She says "The Festival is shaping up to include an exciting variety of performing arts workshops - from laughter yoga to handbell ringing, via a jazz workshop and all kinds of dance that you can join in. "

Glenys says, "u3a sports and activity groups focus on enjoyment, inclusivity, and active, lifelong participation rather than competition or high-level performance. The range of sports activities at the Festival showcase that later life is a time of possibility, growth, and physical engagement."

Opportunities to volunteer 

As with everything in u3a, the success of the Festival relies on the talents of our members. If you think you could lead an activity, perform at the Festival or contribute in some other way, please get in touch by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..